Arrangement of operator control elements

ABSTRACT

An arrangement of operator controls in a vehicle which are arranged in a plurality of operator control arrays in such a way that only one of these operator control arrays is active in an actuation position and it is easily possible to change over between the groups. The operator control arrays are accommodated on a rotatable carrier element in the armrest of a vehicle seat.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This application claims the priority of International Application No.PCT/EP01/08828 filed Jul. 31, 2001 and German Application No. 100 37619.3 filed Aug. 2, 2000, the disclosures of which are expresslyincorporated by reference herein.

The invention relates to an arrangement of operator controls, inparticular in vehicles.

In modern motor vehicles, a multiplicity of functions can be controlledby electrically acting operating controls, in particular switches,pushbutton keys, or rotary knobs. In spite of the multiplicity of suchfunctions which can be controlled by means of operator controls, theoperator controls are also required to be easily accessible, arranged ina clearly organized way and easy to activate.

The present invention is based on the object of specifying anarrangement of operator controls which advantageously fulfils theserequirements.

When operator controls are arranged in a plurality of operator controlarrays in accordance with the invention, it is possible to place in eachcase one of the plurality of operator control arrays alternately in anactivation position. This operator control array will also be referredto below as an active operator control array in contrast to the inactiveoperator control arrays which are not in the activation position at thattime. The operator controls of the inactive operator control arrays arepreferably concealed behind a cover and not accessible to the operatorin this position. The activation position is then preferably provided bymeans of a recess in the cover. The operator controls of the inactiveoperator control arrays may also be deactivated so that in particularwhen the operator controls of these inactive operator control arrays arenot covered inadvertent contact cannot lead to an undesired functionbeing triggered.

The operator control arrays are arranged in different planes and canpreferably be moved together.

The operator controls are preferably electrical switching elements oractuator elements, for example switches, pushbutton keys, rotaryactuators or sliding actuators. Electrical signals from and to theoperator controls can be transmitted by means of conventional cabling,or in particular inductively or optoelectronically especially when arotatable operator control array carrier can be continuously rotated ina periodic fashion by means of spring contacts or in a contactlessfashion. In particular an arrangement in which at least one operatorcontrol array contains a plurality of operator controls is advantageous.

The plurality of operator control arrays are advantageously connected toone another mechanically, in particular in the form of a sequence ofoperator control arrays which can be stepped in a cyclical fashion.

According to one preferred embodiment, the plurality of operatorcontrols can be arranged about an axis of rotation on a rotatablecarrier element. They are preferably offset with respect to one anotherhere by the same polar angles about the axis of rotation. The operatorcontrols of the individual operator control arrays may be oriented herein parallel with or at an inclination with respect to the axis ofrotation, in planar or curved surfaces.

The change-over from one operator control array to another as an activeoperator control array can be carried out according to a firstembodiment in that a common rotatable carrier element can be grasped androtated by the user. In one preferred embodiment with a cover over theinactive operator control arrays, a change-over can be carried outpreferably by means of an activation element, preferably an actuatorlever or preferably an actuator wheel which is accessible to the user,and by means of mechanical transmission to the carrier of the operatorcontrol arrays.

As an alternative, or in addition, the change-over between two operatorcontrol arrays can be carried out in a motor-operated fashion in acarrier element which can be rotated about an axis of rotation, that isto say in particular by motor-operated rotation of the carrier elementabout the axis of rotation. The change-over between two operator controlarrays can be triggered, for example, by means of a stepping-activationelement, preferably with bidirectional switching direction. Anotheradvantageous embodiment provides a selection array, which can preferablyalways be activated, for selecting one of the plurality of operatorcontrol arrays, preferably with selection keys for the plurality ofdifferent operator control arrays.

Instead of mechanically displacing operator controlled arrays it is alsopossible to provide for operator controls to be provided in a fixedfashion and for their assigned functions to be changed only inaccordance with the assignment of the operator controls of differentoperator control arrays to their individual functions. The functionwhich is assigned to an actuation element at a given time can preferablybe indicated by means of light symbols on and/or in the actuationelement. It is also possible to implement a mechanical change-over andmultiple assignment in a combined fashion.

The individual operator control arrays can preferably be differentiatedby touch so that at least an accustomed user can determine or verify therespectively active operator control array solely by manual contact.Differentiation by touch can be carried out, on the one hand, by theactual arrangement and form of the respective operator controls and onthe other hand the operator controls can be determined by shaping thesurface, or a portion thereof, with a characteristic relief which can beperceived by touch.

Grouping operator controls in an operator control array can be providedin particular for functions which do not relate to the driving operationof the vehicle, for example telephone keypad, radio, air-conditioningsystem, window settings, seat settings inter alia.

In addition to the individually selectable operator control arrays, afurther operator control array with a plurality of operator controls maybe permanently arranged in the direct vicinity of the activationposition. In particular, the further operator control array may bearranged at one end of an elongated carrier element and be essentiallytransverse with respect to its longitudinal axis. In another arrangementthe selectable operator control arrays are arranged on a carrierelement, which can be rotated about an axis of rotation, and the furtheroperator control array is re-entered as an extension of the axis ofrotation transversely with respect thereto.

According to one preferred embodiment, the selectable operator controlarrays and, preferably, the further operator control array are arrangedat the handrest-end of the armrest of a vehicle seat. The plurality ofselectable operator control arrays are preferably arranged on a commoncarrier element so as to be capable of rotating about an axis ofrotation which is approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of thearmrest. The further operator control array is arranged on the endsurface of the armrest in a surface which drops away towards the frontend is preferably curved in a convex fashion. The further operatorcontrol array may preferably have operator controls for seat-relatedfunctions.

Alternative advantageous positions for the arrangement of operatorcontrols are, in addition to the seat cushions, for example in theinstrument panel, in the door lining or as a standing arrangement on thecentre console. The arrangement can be expediently modified in each caseby adaptation to the position in a detailed fashion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The arrangement is illustrated in detail below by means of preferredembodiments and with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an oblique view of the first embodiment,

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the arrangement according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the arrangement according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 shows an oblique view of a further embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows an armrest AL of a vehicle seat which can typically pivotabout a horizontal pivoting axis SA. The end of the armrest which isremote from the pivoting axis SA will be assumed to form the handrestregion HA. In the handrest region, a carrier element TK is mounted so asto be rotatable about an axis DA of rotation. The carrier element mayassume a plurality of stable positions in which it preferably engagesand which are preferably offset about the axis of rotation by identicalangles of rotation. In the case of the carrier element according to FIG.1 it will be assumed that the stable positions are offset with respectto one another by 90.

Distributed over its external circumference, the carrier element has aplurality of operator control arrays with operator controls BE, of whicha first operator control array G1 is shown pointing upwards, and asecond operator control array G2 can be seen pointing to the side inFIG. 1. In the illustrated example, the operator controls of the variousoperator control arrays lie in essentially planar surfaces which areslightly inclined with respect to the axis of rotation in such a waythat the carrier element is embodied in the manner of a truncated coneand tapers towards the handrest end of the armrest.

At the front end of the armrest there is a terminating end surface whichis oriented as an extension of the axis of rotation and transverselywith respect to it and as, in a fixed arrangement, an additionaloperator control array GZ with further operator controls which may beprovided in particular for setting seat perimeters of the driver's seat,for example seat depth, inclination for backrest etc.

Of the plurality of operator control arrays on the carrier element TK,only the upwardly pointing operator control array, that is to say theoperator control array G1 in the illustrated position of the carrierelement, will be provided, by way of example, for control. Operatorcontrol array G1 will be referred to as an active operator controlarray. The operator controls of the other operator control arrays (G2, .. . ) of the carrier element which are inactive with respect to thelatter may advantageously be deactivated in this position so thatinadvertent activation of such an operator control or an inactiveoperator control array does not trigger the function which is actuallyassigned to it. By rotating the carrier element through 90, the operatorcontrol array G2 can assume upwardly pointing activation position andthus become the active operator control array.

The arrangement in FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 2 in a side view and in FIG.3 in a plan view, further operator control arrays (G3, G4) beingindicated on the carrier element.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which, in contrast to the variantaccording to FIGS. 1 to 3, the inactive control arrays are not exposedbut are instead covered by an external surface of the armrest which iscontinuous towards the bottom and towards the side. Only the activeoperator control array G1 is accessible via a portion AU lying at thetop of the armrest.

The stepped switching to a different operator control array as activeoperator control array can be carried out by means of an actuator wheelSR which is coupled to the rotation of the predominantly covered carrierelement TK and also projects through the cover. Instead of the actuatorwheel, it is, for example, also possible to provide an actuator leverarrangement. In addition, the stepped switching can also be carried outby motor and can be triggered by means of a corresponding switchelement, preferably with a directional selection. By means of selectorkeys it is possible, under certain circumstances, also to select aspecific operator control array in a targeted fashion, which operatorcontrol array is moved into the activation position by motor. Themotor-operated stepped switching can also be advantageously used in thecovered embodiment according to FIG. 1.

The examples which were given above in the claims and are illustrated inthese figures can be implemented advantageously both individually and invarious combinations. The invention is not restricted to the describedexemplary embodiment but rather can be modified in many ways within thescope of the abilities of a person skilled in the art.

1. An arrangement of operator controls for a vehicle, wherein saidoperator controls are arranged in a plurality of operator control arrayswith each of said plurality of arrays containing at least one of saidplurality of operator controls and wherein each of said arrays are in arespective different plane and wherein said arrays are moveable betweena plurality of positions wherein one of said planes is an activationplane whereby when ones of said operator controls in a control array arepositioned in said activation plane said ones of said operator controlsare able to be activated.
 2. The Arrangement according to claim 1,wherein said activation plane includes a recess in a covering surface.3. The arrangement according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of operatorcontrol arrays are mechanically connected to one another.
 4. Thearrangement according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of operatorcontrol arrays are arranged on a carrier element which can rotate aboutan axis of rotation, said operator control arrays being arranged offsetin a polar fashion with respect to said axis of rotation.
 5. Thearrangement according to claim 1, wherein a movement from one of saidposition to another one of said position is carried out by a user bymeans of a mechanical actuator element.
 6. The arrangement according toclaim 1, wherein movement from one position to another position iscarried out by a motor in accordance with the activation of a switch. 7.The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the individual operatorcontrol arrays can be differentiated by touch.
 8. The arrangementaccording to claim 1, wherein at least one operator control is arrangedin a fixed position and is assigned to a plurality of operator controlarrays with different functions depending on the operator control arrayselected.
 9. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the operatorcontrol arrays are arranged in an armrest of a vehicle seat.
 10. Thearrangement according to claim 4, wherein an additional operator controlarray is arranged as an extension of the axis of rotation, on a surfacewhich is transverse with respect to the axis of rotation.
 11. Thearrangement according to claim 10, wherein operator controls of theadditional operator control array are assigned seat-related functions.12. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein at least one operatorcontrol array contains a plurality of operator controls.
 13. A vehicleoperator control structure comprising: a support structure; a rotatablecarrier element attached to said support structure wherein saidrotatable carrier element has a plurality of surfaces each lying in adifferent plane, wherein at least two of said surfaces each include anoperator control array with each array including at least one operatorcontrol, wherein said surfaces are rotatable among said planes andwherein one of said planes is an activation plane wherein when one ofsaid arrays is in said activation plane the at least one operatorcontrol in said activation plane is functional.